Dancing with the Stars (Australian TV series)

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The show pairs celebrities with professional ballroom dancers who each week compete against each other in a dance-off to impress a panel of judges and ultimately the viewing public in order to survive potential elimination. Through telephone and SMS voting, viewers vote for the duo they think should remain in the competition. Judges' scores are combined with the viewer votes when determining which duo is eliminated.

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The show debuted in a short run from October to November 2004, then returned the following February.

The show was a ratings success averaging around 2 million viewers a week nationally during its peak which places the series number 1 of the entire day.[1]

The logo used for the first seven series of Dancing with the Stars is similar to the logo used by Strictly Come Dancing. The logo used for the eighth series and beyond is similar to that used by the US version of Dancing with the Stars.

The program ended after 15 seasons, when the Seven Network announced in October 2016 it would not renew the program[2] despite previously suggesting a sixteenth season would air in 2017.[3][4]

In September 2018, the series was announced to be revived by Network 10, with TV presenters and ex-contestants Grant Denyer and Amanda Keller to host (Denyer won season 4 of the show in May 2006).[5]Dancing with the Stars returned to Australian screens on Monday, 18 February 2019.[6]

It was announced in September 2018 that in 2019 a 16th season would commence. A whole new cast and crew will be involved in a new production with a 'fresh look' with Grant Denyer and Amanda Keller co-hosting. [8]

From seasons 1 to 7, the judging panel consisted of four primary judges: Todd McKenney, Helen Richey, Paul Mercurio and Mark Wilson. At the start of season 8, Mercurio left the judging panel. Before the eleventh season began, Wilson was dumped by the Seven network and replaced by Joshua Horner. McKenney, Richey and Horner have made up the primary judging panel since 2011. Kym Johnson who comes from the United States version of Dancing with the Stars and Adam Garcia join the judging panel in 2013. In 2015 Bruno Tonioli replaced Garcia as a judge for the first three weeks before leaving just three judges for the rest of the season.

The following are the dances performed by couples on Dancing with the Stars. In addition, each couple in the final round performs a dance of any style or combination of styles of their choosing, called "freestyle".

In late 2005, the winners of series two (Tom Williams) and three (Ada Nicodemou) competed against each other for the title of Champion of Champions. Series one winner Bec Hewitt did not compete as she was pregnant at the time. Ada Nicodemou and her partner Aric Yegudkin won the championship, defeating Tom Williams and his partner, Kym Johnson, based on the judges' scores.